nfeldt, the Italians one small gun and
120 rounds, the Americans a machine gun with good supply of ammunition;
but the supply of small arm ammunition was very scanty, ranging from 300
to 100 rounds per man.

In addition to these trained men the embassies supplied of students and
others 85 men, of whom 31 were Japanese armed with any rifle or weapon
that they could find; and these men shared in all the fatigues of the
siege, and added greatly to the strength of the garrison.

At this time fearful and indescribable horrors were occurring in the
Chinese city, thousands of Chinese Christians were cruelly tortured and
killed. Reports came in daily of the murder of missionaries, of railway
stations destroyed, and the gradual isolation of Pekin. Missionaries
and their families and native Christians took refuge in the legations,
and rescue parties were sent out to bring in others, and these reported
the most terrible scenes of massacre and indescribable cruelty.

The Paitang, the great Roman Catholic cathedral, saved some thousands of
Christians. These with the priests and sisters, assisted by 30 French
marines, were enabled to keep the attacking forces at bay till the city
was taken by the allies. The guard lost 10 killed, and some 200 of the
people died also, but the rest must have soon perished of starvation
when the supplies collected with wonderful prudence by Bishop Favier,
who foresaw what was coming, had been exhausted.

All this time Pekin was in the hands of the Boxers, with the Imperial
soldiers looking on, assisting, but the Chinese Government officially
professing great solicitude for the safety of the legations. This did
not prevent the Boxers firing, and upon the 17th June Imperial soldiers
were observed doing the same. Upon 19th June the storm burst; the
Government had heard of the attack upon the Taku forts, and gave the
ambassadors notice to leave Pekin within twenty-four hours. To have
done so would have been to leave all the thousands of Chinese Christians
to their fate, and to have ensured a massacre; nevertheless some of the
embassies at once prepared to move, and began to pack up. The British
decided to remain and hold the legation at all hazards, and the course
of events next day decided for the others.

The German minister, Baron von Ketteler, went unattended with his
secretary to the Yamen. On the way he was murdered and his secretary
wounded by Imperial troops.

The same day the Yamen w